U.S. median for this major: $54,283.
College Scorecard field of study; 22 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 50% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $25,736. College Scorecard.
Western Colorado University Communications: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Communications nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Western Colorado University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $11,490 | $51,245 | 7.5 years |
| $30–48k | $10,868 | $48,471 | 7.1 years |
| $48–75k | $13,908 | $62,030 | 9.1 years |
| $75–110k | $16,928 | $75,499 | 11.1 years |
| $110k+ | $21,396 | $95,426 | 14.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (32% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Communications graduates 4 years after graduating ($47,426) minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CO (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $6,816 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Communications at Colorado colleges
Every Colorado college we cover that reports Communications graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Colorado Boulder | $66,623 | $17,500 | $25,346 | 74% |
| 2 | University of Denver | $63,374 | $24,500 | $36,131 | 76% |
| 3 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | $62,882 | $27,000 | $11,900 | 46% |
| 4 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | $61,434 | $24,647 | $21,279 | 67% |
| 5 | University of Northern Colorado | $56,520 | $24,939 | $17,760 | 51% |
| 6 | Colorado Mesa Universitybachelor's & associate | $54,717 | $23,036 | $15,103 | 41% |
| 7 | Colorado State University Pueblo | $51,721 | $22,824 | $10,051 | 40% |
| 8 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | $50,692 | $19,500 | $15,788 | 47% |
| 9 | Western Colorado University | $47,426 | $23,500 | $16,425 | 51% |
| 10 | Regis University | $46,341 | — | $18,397 | 61% |
| 11 | Colorado Christian University | $44,245 | $26,000 | $29,500 | 64% |
1 more Colorado college offers Communications but has too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Communications graduates
Public relations specialist
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +1.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Fundraisers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.5% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Editors
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -1.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at Western Colorado University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Western Colorado University
- Acceptance rate: 100% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 51% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $46,833
- Full cost breakdown · all 26 majors · overview
Related majors at Western Colorado University
- Business / Corporate Communications—
Western Colorado University Communications questions
How much do Western Colorado University Communications graduates earn?
Communications graduates of Western Colorado University earn a median $47,426 four years after graduating. The U.S. median for Communications graduates across 639 colleges is $54,283.
How much debt do Western Colorado University Communications graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Communications graduates of Western Colorado University is $23,500, about 50% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is Western Colorado University a good school for Communications in Colorado?
On pay, Communications graduates of Western Colorado University earn $47,426 four years out, $8,192 below the median for the same major across 12 Colorado colleges ($55,618) and $6,857 below the U.S. median ($54,283). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Western Colorado University rank for Communications in Colorado?
Of 11 Colorado colleges reporting Communications graduate earnings, Western Colorado University ranks 9th; among the 10 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 8th. The highest is University of Colorado Boulder at $66,623.
What jobs do Communications graduates get?
A common career is public relations specialist, with a median wage of $80,680 in Colorado and $74,750 nationally. Others include fundraisers and editors.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Western Colorado University Communications: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-colorado-university/majors/communications (College Scorecard and BLS data).